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Lie on your back on an incline bench set between 15 and 30 degrees, and hold a pair of dumbbells above your shoulders with your arms straight. Lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest. Pause, and then push them back up. Do 10 reps and rest for 20 seconds. Decrease the weight of the dumbbells by 20 to 30 percent and perform 10 more reps.

Assume a pushup position with your hands on a bench. (The higher the bench, the easier the exercise.) Your body should form a straight line from ankles to head. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the bench. Then push up with enough force so your hands leave the bench. Land with your hands on the bench and repeat. Do 5 to 10 reps.

Hang at arm's length from a chinup bar using an overhand grip that's slightly beyond shoulder width. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull your chest to the bar. Pause, and then return to the starting position. Do 5 to 10 reps.

Secure a bar in a power rack at about waist height. Drape two towels over the middle of the bar so they're slightly beyond shoulder width. Grab the ends and hang from them with your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor, and your body straight from knees to head. Pull your chest toward the bar. Pause, and then slowly return to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, place your left hand on a bench in front of you, and assume a staggered stance, left foot forward. Hold your elbow in as you row the wight to the side of your torso. Do 10 reps, switch arms and leg positions, and repeat the movement.

Grab a pair of dumbbells, bend your knees and lean forward so your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Tuck your upper arms next to your sides, bend your elbows, and hold your forearms about parallel to the floor, palms facing up. Simultaneously extend your arms straight back and rotate the weight so your palms end up facing each other. Return to the starting position. Do 15 reps.

Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold a pair of dumbbells at arm's length by your sides, palms facing each other. Without moving your upper arms, curl the weights to your shoulders, and then press them overhead until your arms are straight. Reverse the move to return to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Kettlebells Swing Their Way Into Fitness

Fitter For The Future With Methods Of The Past

Kettlebells are not a new invention. They have a history with the Russian Military and sports people of the past and present. Kettlebells are so old that no single nation can lay claim to inventing them.
A kettlebell is like a cannon ball with a handle and can be found in a selection of weights - from 4kg-48kg.

Karls Ernst, born in Berlin 1846, was one of the first kettlebell lifters known by name. During the 1870s as a strong man, he appeared throughout Germany, Estonia and Russia. He became a father-figure for many famous personalities in the world of strength.

The Nature of a Kettlebell

Kettlebells are different from other forms of resistance equipment. Any weight will fight the gravitational pull of the earth, but with the kettlebell weight being suspended below the handle, this increases the pull away from the body - resulting in the lifter constantly fighting to control the kettlebell, as opposed to a barbell or dumbbell that can be "balanced" during an exercise. This makes the kettlebell unique, since your body's muscles are always working in order to simply control it.

When you swing the kettlebell you need strength, speed and co-ordination. At the bottom of a kettlebell swing it has been estimated that you would be pulling between four and seven times its actual weight.

Benefits of a Kettlebell

As well as improving strength and power, kettlebells can benefit rehabilitation, flexibility, fitness and even weight loss.

Increasing lean muscle mass is crucial if you want to burn the maximum calories possible in one workout and kettlebell training is a powerful tool to use in the pursuit of that goal. Kettlebell workouts are famous for burning fat away due to some of the total-body ballistic movements you can do - swings, snatches and cleans are some of the more popular base moves. As well as the big calorie burning moves, you can also strengthen your centre and get a rock-hard stomach with some of the core moves - seated russian twists, windmill and turkish get-ups are popular.

"I love kettlebells - I use them with all of my clients. The wide range of functional moves means I can find exercises to suit any of my clients, no matter their goal." - G. Kells. (Personal Trainer)
Kettlebell training takes skill and practice, but remember, anyone who decides to mix kettlebell training into their fitness routine should start with a light kettlebell until the technique is perfected - techique is essential.

Kettlebells can actually confirm that if we look to our fitness past , we might actually find the answers to get the results in the future.

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Ultimate 30's Workout

Increase the amount of testosterone and growth hormone your body produces by working multiple muscle groups and keeping rest periods short. For cardio, your lactate threshold can still be increased throughout your thirties, so intervals are king to counter any loss of lung power.

Ultimate 40's Workout

Short, sharp shocks are the way to fire up your body in your middle years - which means you can forget long-winded weights workouts. Vary exercises, intensity and timings to keep your muscles guessing.

Ultimate 50's Workout

You may not be able to lift the heaviest weight, but that's okay. Instead, stretching and yoga should be part of your training, and body-weight moves can replace heavy workouts. Do three sets of 10 reps of the following exercises to protect your joints and maintain muscle mass and testosterone.